Berlin refutes 'Merkel's invitation to Erdoğan'

Turkish Foreign Minister said that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had invited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to visit Germany after snap elections on June 24, but the claim was later denied by Berlin.

"We are awaiting Mr. President after the election," Çavuşoğlu quoted Merkel as saying in Germany’s Solingen during a meeting on May 29.

However, German government sources later denied Çavuşoğlu's claim to Germany's public international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), saying no official invitation has been made by Merkel and only Erdoğan's counterpart, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, could invite him for a visit.

In an interview with broadcaster A Haber on Wednesday, Çavuşoğlu said Steinmeier and Merkel agreed with Erdoğan for a visit to Germany in phone conversations prior to the snap election decision. He added Merkel told him that they will plan for Erdoğan's visit after the elections and they are waiting for the president's visit.

"But she did not say official invitation. Therefore it is the continuation of a subject that has been discussed before, which is very natural. It is very natural for a prime minister to say that she expects the president's visit after the elections," Çavuşoğlu said.